My Hope for You...

When you think of your students...what is your hope for them?

One of the back to school activities we had at Shannon this year was to have our team members (staff and families) write their hope for our students on a card to be displayed in the hall. I was blown away by reading the cards because I think our team captured it all perfectly. It all boiled down to reaching every child not only academically but emotionally.

I think we can all agree that we want students to be academically successful and have high expectations set before them. We want them to rise to challenges and be resilient.

Yet, when we look at the child as a whole...our hopes for them involve more than that.  As educators, we work with students that have all types of backgrounds, differences, and challenges. Our job is to teach them even more than they "need" to know, make them feel safe, and help bring out the best in them (their talents, strengths, & abilities).

So, as our year gets settled, I challenge you to reflect on your hope for your students. What do you want for them? What do you need to do to bring that out in them? I feel that when we understand what our hopes for our kids are, it helps us focus on our why.

At the beginning of the school year, Dr. Anderson (our Secondary Chief Academic Officer) shared a video (below) by Michael Jr, a comedian, that talked about knowing your why. In the video, he said something that was so profound to me. He said, "When you know your why, your what becomes more impactful because you're walking towards or in your purpose."

This made me reflect on my why which brought me to what I hope for the students that I work with. So, as the busyness of the year consumes your mind, I hope that you will have the opportunity to reflect on your hopes for your students in your class, your school, and your district....and what your part will be in making that a reality.

-Melanie

Fall Faves: Books, a Conference & More!

Fall is here! Besides Christmas, it is my favorite time of the year. The excitement of a new school year, pumpkin everything, and the amazing weather (in Texas that means low 80's but I will take what I can get).

Since it is Fall, it's the perfect time to share some of my favorite things (some school related and some not). But I first wanted to share about an amazing opportunity to learn, grow, and build your personal learning network! My friend (and school counselor who blogs HERE) Melissa and I will be presenting at the upcoming Lone Star School Counselor Association Fall Conference. This will be my first time to attend and present. Melissa went last year and said it was amazing. If you are interested in attending, you still can! You can find more information HERE!

 

I don't know about you but other than coffee, one of my favorite things to buy are books!! I love educational books, children's books....I will take them all. I try to keep a list on my phone when I come across a neat book I would love to add to my own kiddos' collection, for use at school, or for me to read. My husband then orders a few here and there for me when he orders other things on Amazon. I was so excited the other day when two books came for me!

The first book is called The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig. This is a great story to read that could hit so many topics such as; self esteem, promoting kindness in others, building relationships. You can find it on Amazon HERE

You could even do a quick reflection activity like the one below.

The second book I wanted to share is called Rude Cakes. This book is sure to bring laughter and teach a lesson on bullying and manners. This would be great for small group or guidance lessons geared for students K-2 on respect. My own kids loved the illustrations.

Now to some of my favorite things this season!

1. There's actually 3 things in this pic that are my faves (of course other than sweet E)
Tassel Earrings ($2 at Walmart) A sweet teacher was wearing them at school and then texted to tell me they were now on clearance...that's a win. They are super light, too!
Lip Gloss: I am wearing Lipsense (one coat of Precious Topaz and two coats of Champagne Pink)-Message me if interested, my sister in law sells it!
Fall Hair: After my thyroid surgery, my hair has been falling out a bit. Highlights (with bleach) probably wasn't helping so I talked to my amazing hairstylist, Mallory, and she gave me a new, fall look that was probably better for my hair situation.

2. Fall Nights
There is nothing better than a fall night with a cool breeze making memories with your family. Even having our windows open and a cup of hot tea makes for an amazing "mommy break."

3. All the Fall Books and Coffee
I just love reading Fall books. It reminds me of all the Shared Reading as a Kindergarten/1st Grade teacher. We even pulled all of our fall books to put in a basket to read.

And when I say fall coffee, I don't mean anything fancy which will cost $5. I love a plain ol' coffee with non fat milk, 3 stevia, 3 pumps of pumpkin sauce, light whip, and pumpkin spice topping. It is so good and only around $3....it's my cheaper version of a pumpkin spice latte that isn't as sweet.

Hope you are all having the opportunity to enjoy all of the small moments this Fall season and that you are taking time to take care of YOU!

Melanie